First Impressions Cupcakes-A-Go-Go on Mineral Point

When Madison Sourdough Co. moved east to up the ante on Willy Street, it left a vacancy in the Clock Tower Court, an oddly critical West Side mall that supports Rosati’s, a Subway, a Qdoba, and consequently hordes of ravenous and petty cash-rich Memorial High students, largely bored with a dull immediate range of eating options. Cupcakes-A-Go-Go, no doubt hoping to capitalize on their bright-eyed, sugar-craving faces, recently opened a new location in that space sporting racks upon racks of gooey and delicious cupcakes, so The A.V. Club dropped by to see how that money-printing machine is working.

The space and service: Upon entry, nigh-intolerably enticing smells waft through the air, creating a moment where it’s best just to drink it in with a big inhale, eyes closed. But that doesn’t last. It’s too packed in there, with bright highlights and colorful accoutrements adding to the Apple Genius bar for cupcakes vibe. The sugary fare is set against glossy, white, egg-shaped chairs seemingly from the set of 2001: A Space Odyssey, making it feel sterile and perfect. Puckish workers with multicolored hair and hip, jangly flair flit about behind the counter, mostly dealing handily with the consumer crushes.

The A.V. Club’s food: Snap decisions work well here, as all angles are cunningly covered and it’s down to taste. Cheesecake cupcakes have a base of graham cracker crust and are dense and slightly sour, with mellow hints of vanilla in the frosting. The Oreo Cookie is a triple whammy of overlapping chocolate: It’s like an exploded Oreo, all the flavors represented, with even a tiny Oreo on top to remind eaters of the successfully presented theme. Peanut Butter Overdrive humbly presents cake on top, light, moist, and fluffy, but crushes the eater with a bottom layer featuring a whole Reese’s peanut butter cup. Peanut butter mousse and chocolate ganache over the top take this cupcake to the limit of what tooth enamel can handle. A Champagne cupcake smacks of grapefruit, is dotted with chunks of cherries and blueberries, and is topped with a cream cheese frosting.

The verdict: Cupcakes of this sophistication are hard to come by. Only an impossible Scrooge would begrudge an easily accessible outlet for light, fluffy, creamy cupcakes with embedded, secret candy surprises, lightly slathered in frosting, suitable for a gaggle of kids or a naughty grown-up case for foolin’ around with sugar.